Rotary pulverizing and grading machine



Oct. 17, 1950 E. M. NowLlN ROTARY PULVERIZINGv AND GRADING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 7, 1944 Oct. 17, 1950 E. M. NowLlN ROTARY PULVERIZING AND GRADING'MACHINE 4 sheets-sheet 2 lFiled oct. 7, 1944 ATTORNEY.

E. Nl. NowLlN 2,526,396

Oct. 17, 1950 Ro'rARY PULVERIZING AND GRADING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 `Filed Oct. 7, 1944 @M ATTORNEY.

Oct. 17, 1950 E. M. NowLlN ROTARY PULvERIzING AND GRADING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 7, 1944 INVENTOR, T/Malti M M2M/1)?. BY/

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Patented Oct. V17, 1950 ,twee

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ROTARY PULVERIZING AND GRADING MACHINE Edward M. Nowlin, Kansas Cityg-Mo. Application'October 7, 1944, SerialNo. 557,680

This invention relates to improvements in rotary pulverizing and grading machines and has particular reference to that type of machine adapted for use with a f-armtractor for farm use and for road grading.

The principal object or the present invention is the provision of a `rotary type pulverizing and grading apparatus for use in combination with a tractor having hitchingymeans suitablefor sup.- `porting said apparatus inl various xed positions relative thereto. v

A further object or this invention is the provision of a pulverizin'g and grading attachment having two sets or cutters whereby the earth being worked is `cut transversely and longitudi nally of the direction of travel of the machine and also having a toothed power driven drum adapted to follow saidfcutting members to pulverize the earth.

Another object is the provision of a pulverizing and grading attachment carried by arpower vehicle and having attaching means operable to adjust said pulverizing and grading attachments to and from the ground engaging position.

Other objects are simplicity and compactness of structure, ease and eiiiciency. of operation and adaptability for varying the relative depth of cut or the various ground working units.

With these objects in View as well as other objects which will appear during the course of the specication, reference will now be had to the drawingl wherein:

Figure 1 is aside. elevation of a rotary pulverizing and gradin'grnachine. hitched to a power driven vehicle and embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a figure similar to that shown in Fig.Y 1 with parts broken away and with the rground iolaim. (o1. 97-40).

working attachmentl raised above the ground surface.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational .view of the ground working attachment and hitched mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical. sectional View taken on line V-V of Fig. 4, r,with some of the parts omitted.

Fig. 6 is a sectionalview of the train of gears `for driving the toothed drum taken on line VI- V of Fig. 3, with some parts in elevation.

Throughout the severalv views like reference characters refer to `similar parts and the numeral Iii designates a rectangular framehaving forwardly disposed extensions I'2` and a vertically disposed standard iliat its forward end. Said standard having brace angles; Iii by means of which it is secured to the side rails [8er the frame IEB. The head cross member 20 of standard ill is provided with a centrally disposed hitch: .h1-901i 22. A pair of vertically disposed standar-@151124 sldably mounted respectively in side rails I8 and secured thereto by means of set screws Zdieach carry a bearingmember 28 in which is rotatably mounted a transverse shaft 30 having xed hubs 3,2 on` which is mounted substantially radially7 disposed arms 3,4. The arms of hubs 32 are in transverse alignment so that corresponding arms serve to carry transverse blades 35 which are removably attached thereto by bolts 38. When the machine is in the operative position, theblades 36 are free to rotate and consecutively contact and cut the earth to a depth determined by the setting of the standards 24. Standards @E carried by side rails I8 and removably secured thereto by set screw 42 carry at their lower ends respectively a bearing 44 in which -is rotatably mounted a shaft 46 Carrying cutting discs 48. These discs 138 are disposed in an equally spaced series and serve to slit the earth into strips in the direction of travel of the machine.

In order to provide a suitable bearing` for `the standards 2li` and MB, blocks 50 are made integral (with. the side rails kIt to receive said standards therethrough. It will be noted that the set screws 25 and 42 are mounted in these blocks.

To the rear of the series of cutting discsr-48 isa power driven toothed drum 52 which is provided with an axle 54 rotatably mounted in bearings 56 carried'by depending brackets-58 which are securely xed to side rails I8. The teeth 5d; are rigidly lXed to the periphery of drum 52v :by means or" brackets 6i) and extend substantially radially therefrom to engage the groundto be .worked The outer extremity lofeeach toothEQ is inclined forwardly in the direction of travel which-is the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted that the teeth 59 at the opposite sides of the transverse center line of drum 52 are disposed in a helical line about the periphery of the drum but in opposite directions. This positioning of the teeth on the drum insures an even central draft on the drum, and also presentsa tooth at each end portion of the drulm to the ground surface at even and regularintervals thus insuring a relatively even pull on the draw bars at all times.

The cutter discs d8 are so positioned as to extend between adjacent teeth 59 of drum 52, so that the teeth will serve to prevent the accumulation of trash between the cutter discs, furthermore with these partsinterlapping the ma- :i chine is more compact and required pulling force is reduced.

The drive mechanism for drum 52 comprises the wel-l known power take-off shaft 62 of a motor driven vehicle such as a tractor T. This takeoff shaft drives an extensible shaft 64 through a universal joint 66, and this extensible shaft 64 is interconnected by universal joint 69 with a shaft 63 mounted in bearings 18 which is integral with housing l2 which in turn is securely welded or otherwise attached to the cross bar 14 of frame I8. A bevel pinion i6 secured to shaft 68 in housing 'I2 meshes with bevel gear 18, which is rigidly secured to transverse shaft 88. This shaft 88 is mounted for rotation in bearings 82 and 84 in housings l2 and 86 respectively. Housing 86 is interconnected with housing 'i2 by an elongated tubing and is secured to side rail I8 in -any suitable means. A gear housing 88 carried by bracket 58 is provided with a bearing 98 which is in axial alignment with a bearing 92 carried by housing 86, and these housings are joined together by means of a tubular shield 94. A shaft 96 extends from housing 86 to gear housing 88 to rotate in bearings 98 and 92 and is provided with a bevel gear 98 to mesh with bevel gear |88 secured to the outer end of shaft 88. Mounted to axle 54 is a bevel gear |82 which inter-meshes with a bevel pinion |84 rigidly carried by shaft 96.

When the vehicle motor is running to drive the power take-01T the train of gears just described will transmit driving power to the drum axle 54, whereby the teeth 59 are rotated to engage the earth surface. The peripheral speed of the teeth 59 is preferably greater than the forward speed of the machine, thus producing a tearing effect as the teeth pass through the earth. It is quite apparent that the action of the teeth against the earth in the direction indicated by the arrow will tend to move the frame and its associated ground working parts forward, thus relieving the tension on the draw bars. The speed of rotation of the toothed drum relative to the ground speed of the machine may be varied by changing the gear ratios of the driving parts.

The hitch mechanism by means of which the pulverizing and grading mechanism is attached to the tractor T, comprises the draw bars which are pivoted to the tractor at |88 and to the block IU which is rigidly secured to the cross bar |4 of frame |0. These draw bars serve to pull the implement and in conjunction with top bar or link |'|2 serve to support the implement in any predetermined vertical position. Top bar |2 is pivoted at its one end to hitch block 22 and at its other end to a lever |4 pivoted to the tractor T by means of a pin ||8. Lever ||4 is provided With a, compression spring 28y which serves to measure the reaction forces applied to top bar ||2 by the earth engaging parts of the ime plement and to automatically regulate the action of hydraulic mechanism (not shown) for controlling the following lift means. This lift means includes a transverse shaft |22 rotatably carried by the tractor and provided at its opposite ends with lever arms |24 to which are respectively attached one end of lift rod |26 which are pivotally secured at their other ends to the adjacent draw bar |06. A universal joint |28 for joining lever arm |24 with lift rod |26 serve to compensate for irregular movements of the interconnected parts. A lever |38 rigidly attached to shaft |22 is connected at its free end to a piston rod |32 which in turn is connected to a piston |34 operatively positioned in a ram cylinder |36. This piston is adapted to be operated by the flow of a liquid to and from cylinder |36 which is controlled by the operator through any suitable means (not shown). The general construction of this hitch mechanism is old and now in general use; however, a new feature is the special top bar 2 which comprises two sections |38 and |48', each hollow and threaded at |42 to receive the connecting member |44 which is provided adjacent its central portion with an operating hand wheel |45. The threads |48 and |50 at opposite end portions connecting member |44 are respectively right and left handed so that when the hand wheel is operated, the bar sections will be forced apart or drawn together to regulate the Vertical position of the ground engaging parts of the implement.

When it is desired to increase the depth of cut of the teeth 59 the top bar is lengthened and is shortened when it is desired to decrease the depth of cut.

Referring to Figs. l and 2 in which the implement or ground working tools are shown in the ground engaging position and in the raised inoperative position, it will observed that the implement is carried by the draw bars and top bar |2 regardless of whether it is in the ground or raised therefrom. Should it be desired to increase the depth of cut of the tools, the operator simply lengthens the top bar by turning hand wheel |46. By reversing the direction of rotation of hand wheel |46, the depth of cut of the tools can be lessened. Due to the position of spring |28 it is apparent that it will be compressed to different degrees due to the variation of backward pressure against top bar ||2 which holds the working tools in position in the ground. For safety, a cover |2| may be provided for the toothed drum.

This combination of the ground Working tools with the power driven vehicle is such that the tools are easily controlled and regulated by the operator seated on the vehicle. Furthermore, the tools are attached suliciently close to the vehicle to maintain the tools at a substantially uniform depth of operation and to carry the tools in the inoperative positions without upending the vehicle.

While the tools are shown in combination with one of the well known wheel type tractors, it is quite obvious that the implement might be used with any of the various types of tractors without any material change in structure or operation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A pulverizing and grading machine comprising a frame, means carried by a power driven vehicle for supporting said frame above the ground surface, a power take-off operable by said power driven vehicle, a rotatably mounted drum having radially disposed ground engaging teeth carried by said frame adjacent its rear end, means interconnecting said drum with said power take-off to drive said drum whereby the peripheral speed of said drum teeth is greater than the ground speed of said power driven vehicle, spaced apart cutter discs positioned in planar alignment with the direction of travel of said machine and carried by the center portion of said frame and adapted to rotate when in contact with the ground as said machine is moved, said discs being disposed in interengaging relation with said teeth, a member having a series of circumferentially disposed transverse blades rotatably carried by said frame forwardly of said cutter discs and adapted to penetrate the ground being traversed, means automatically adjustable to vary said frame supporting means whereby said frame is vmaintained substantially horizontal, and adjustable means to Vary the relative positions of said cutter discs and said transverse blades relative to said frame.

EDWARD M. NO-WLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Ellston Aug. 26, 1873 Emans Oct. 31, 1893 Allerton et al June 18, 1895 Diestelmeier et al. Oct. 10,-1911 Eidem a Nov. 14, 1911 Peterson Jan. 13, 1914 Emmons Feb. 14, 1928 Ferguson May 24, 1938v FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Sept. 16, 1938 

